


don't let me go

by Kitmistry



Series: Writers of Destiel's "The Day They First Met" Prompt-Week [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Cas returns from the Empty, First Kiss, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Nightmares, Post-Canon, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:27:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26439490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kitmistry/pseuds/Kitmistry
Summary: “Was it a nightmare?”Dean rakes a hand through Castiel’s hair, the touch grounding him more than the sight of this familiar place.He turns towards it, chasing the comfort Dean gives so easily, and nods once.“The same again?”“As always.”
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Series: Writers of Destiel's "The Day They First Met" Prompt-Week [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1923583
Comments: 32
Kudos: 282





	don't let me go

Castiel is floating. 

No.

Not floating. 

Hovering maybe. He’s not moving. He’s anchored to something, except that something is… nothing. There’s nothing under him, or next to him, or over him, or anywhere around him. 

He opens his eyes, and he can’t see anything. Only vast emptiness. 

He tries to gasp, but there’s no air. His lungs shrink and shrivel, squeezing inside his chest in search of oxygen, but there’s nothing. 

No wind. 

No breeze. 

No air. 

No molecules. 

Nothing.

His muscles refuse to obey him when he tries to move. When he tries to reach for his grace, all he finds is a hollow gap inside him. 

Something ripples in the distance. Slowly. Almost indistinctly. 

But Castiel sees it. Knows what it is even before it billows closer. His whole body is trembling, fighting against the vacuum that holds him prisoner. It’s futile.

Black slides against black, ink-like curls fold in on themselves, the amorphous mass rushing towards Castiel, condensing even as it swells, thickens, unfurls to reveal a cavernous opening inside it.

“No,” Castiel yells, shaking, shivering, resisting. “No, wait. No!”

The Shadow barrels towards him, enormous and unstoppable. It has swallowed archangels, and galaxies, and entire universes. A powerless seraph doesn’t stand a chance.

“Please, stop. Don’t do this.”

“Castieeeeel,” the Shadow hisses, expanding impossibly more, like an unhinged jaw, ready to devour him.

“No.”

“Cas?”

“No, please!”

“Cas!”

Castiel jerks awake. 

There’s a hand on him, gentle as it presses him back down onto the bed. Soothing fingers brush a sweaty strand of hair away from his forehead. 

“Hey, it’s okay. You’re okay,” Dean tells him softly. 

“Dean,” Castiel croaks, trying to take in his surroundings—the sturdy walls, the old desk, his trench coat thrown over a chair. It’s his room in the bunker. 

“Was it a nightmare?” 

Dean rakes a hand through Castiel’s hair, the touch grounding him more than the sight of this familiar place. 

He turns towards it, chasing the comfort Dean gives so easily, and nods once.

“The same again?”

“As always.”

“Wanna talk about it?”

There’s a lump in the back of Castiel’s throat. “No. Not really.”

Dean sighs, though he looks like he didn’t expect anything different. “Cas, this has been going on every night since you came back from the Empty. There has to be something I can do to help you.”

Castiel bites on his bottom lip, hard enough to draw blood. “Just… just stay,” he says, the word whispered between them so low, he half-hopes Dean didn’t hear it. He’s thought about it so many times before, but tonight is the first time he’s said it out loud. The first time after so many sleepless nights that have left him exhausted. The first time he’s said something close to a confession in front of Dean. It’s terrifying. 

“Okay,” Dean breathes. Hesitates. “Can I lie next to you?”

Castiel doesn’t trust himself to speak. Instead, he makes space on the bed and lifts the covers, inviting Dean to join him in the warmth. Dean seems to get the hint. They lie on their side, facing each other, a breath of air between them. 

Dean reaches out to squeeze Castiel’s hand. “I’m here now. Okay? I’ll take care of you.”

Something shutters inside Castiel. “It should be the other way around,” he mutters into his pillow.

“Hey, no. Look at me.” Dean cups his face, guides him until their eyes meet and catch. “I don’t need a guardian angel perched on my shoulder. I just need you. I know you think being human makes you broken or weak, but none of that matters to me. I just need you here. And now you need me, so I’ll help you through this. However you need, for as long as you need.” Maybe he can feel Castiel is still tense, because he adds, “I’ll sleep here for a few days, okay? Will that help a little?”

Castiel is not sure what possesses him to do what he does next. Maybe it’s because he can feel tears threatening to spill down his cheeks. Maybe it’s the fluttering behind his ribs. Maybe it’s because the curve of Dean’s smile is soft even in the darkness, his eyes that brilliant green that could rival every color in existence.

Maybe it’s because he’s weak.

But Castiel moves closer, using a hesitant hand on Dean’s hip to help him. 

Dean doesn’t pull away, just watches Castiel intently, waiting.

Emboldened, Castiel closes the space between them, their lips pressing together shyly, ever so softly. His heart is ready to beat right out of his chest while he waits. 

Then Dean sighs against his lips, returns the kiss, more firmly this time, tilting his whole body into it, pressing himself against Castiel so that there’s no part of them not touching.

And then he pulls away. “That was—Okay.”

Castiel’s stomach drops through the floor. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have.”

This time, Dean stops him by wrapping an arm around his waist. “Don’t be sorry.” He searches Castiel’s face, and Castiel wonders if he can make out the fear written into every line there in the dark. “Did you mean that?”

Castiel swallows. “I did. Yes.”

“Good. That’s very good. Because I meant it, too.” Dean huffs, something close to a laugh, but not exactly. “Should have done that a long time ago, actually.”

Castiel can’t help the way his lips twitch up into a smile. All tension gone from his muscles, his body feels like it’s sinking against the mattress, Dean’s arm a reassuring weight around him. The nightmare still lingers in the back of his mind, but the memory of it is bearable now. 

“I’d like to do that again,” Castiel says. 

“Now?” Dean asks, sounding half-amused himself. 

“Yes. And tomorrow. And whenever you will let me.”

“Alright, sunshine,” Dean says, pressing a chaste peck against his lips; it warms Castiel to the core. “How about you get some rest and we talk about this tomorrow over breakfast.”

Reluctantly, Castiel nods. “But you’ll stay,” he double-checks.

“Of course. Turn around.”

Castiel does. He turns and presses his back against Dean’s chest, sighing into his arms. The stillness of the night settles heavy over them, but this time it’s not as threatening as before. Castiel is less afraid of the shadows lurking in the corners. 

“Hey, Cas,” Dean murmurs against the back of Castiel’s neck, lips brushing against the warm skin. “You know I got you, right?”

“Mmmm.” Castiel would like to have a more elaborate answer, but exhaustion is quickly catching up to him, and Dean is a very comfortable blanket. 

Just as he drifts off, he feels a trail of kisses pressed behind his ear. 

“You sleep now, and I’ll watch over you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Writers of Destiel's "the day they first met" prompt week. This is day three out of five.
> 
> A huge thank you to [ FriendofCarlotta ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FriendofCarlotta/pseuds/FriendofCarlotta) and [ Feathers7501 ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Feathers7501) for being my betas.
> 
> To see what else I'm working on, you can subscribe to me as an author or follow me on [ tumblr! ](https://kitmistry.tumblr.com/)


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